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There are a number of different melee attacks to perform in RE5. These are instructions on how to perform all of them known at this point. The first step is to know how to trigger the prompts for the attacks. Obviously you'll need to be in close quarters to perform them. Attacking enemies in certain areas of their bodies results in them flinching and stumbling in different ways. Shooting them in these specific areas will commonly, but not always, force them to stagger or grab hold of their wounded for an extended period of time. During these animations you can run up to them and the prompt for the attack should be present. Weapons like handguns and machine guns are recommended; the shotgun and rifle will often put enemies on the ground because of their greater attack power. The knife can also be used to initiate melee attacks but the chance of the knife causing an enemy to flinch in the proper manner is much lower than using a gun.
Why melee attack?
Melee attacks are extremely useful, in spite of the gun locked in the character's hand. Performing them helps save ammunition and thin out crowds of enemy. During the attack animations, your character is also momentarily invulnerable to attacks (known as i-frames, or invincibility frames) Plus, some melee attacks are instant kills.
How to Perform Different Attacks
Listed below are instructions of how to activate the prompts for different attacks. At this point it is unknown if there is an difference in attack power between Chris's and Sheva's attacks, although they're most likely the same. Keep in mind that if you're causing an enemy to stagger with an attack from a gunshot or knife slash, either of the players can perform the melee attack; the prompt is not exclusive to the player who caused the enemy to stumble.
Chris (in front of enemy)
Straight: Shoot an enemy in the head
Hook: Shoot an enemy in the arm
Uppercut: Shoot an enemy in the leg
Chris (from behind enemy)
Straight: Shoot an enemy in the head
Kick (from behind): Shoot an enemy in the arm
Neck breaker (instant kill): Shoot an enemy in the leg
Sheva (in front of enemy)
Roundhouse: Shoot an enemy in the head
Twist kick: Shoot an enemy in the arm
Somersault: Shoot an enemy in the leg
Sheva (from behind enemy)
Roundhouse: Shoot an enemy in the head
Kick (from behind): Shoot an enemy in the arm
Throat slit (instant kill): Shoot an enemy in the leg
Ground Attacks
Even when an enemy is lying the ground, but still alive, a prompt will be present for both Chris and Sheva to finish it off. For Chris it is "Stomp" and for Sheva it is "Impale." While the ground attacks do dish out quite a bit of damage, they are not a guaranteed kill. To help ensure they don't rise up, standing just in front of the top of their head and then performing the attack has a good chance to decapitate them if the attack manages to connect with their head.
Rescue Attacks
When a player is grappled or grabbed by an enemy (Help! with appear over your partner's life bar and an on screen indicator will lead you to them), the other partner can perform an attack to free the assaulted player. When close enough, a prompt will appear for the rescuing player. Following this prompt can result in different attacks depending on the enemy in question (punches, kicks, knife slashes for example).
Stacking Attacks
Often times Chris and Sheva can perform a sequence of a couple of melee attacks on one enemy. This is most noticeable against the boss enemies, the chainsaw majini and the executioner. When they're stunned, one player can approach them and perform a melee attack. While the boss enemy is stumbling from the melee attack, the other player can attack as well, usually with a more powerful one. For example, Chris could initially perform a Hook on the chainsaw majini, which is not as powerful as other attacks. While the chainsaw majini is recovering from Chris's Hook, Sheva could approach the staggering enemy and follow up Chris's assault with a Roundhouse. This tactic can be used on other enemies as well. A Hook, Kick from behind, or a Twist kick will not typically knock an enemy to the ground unless they're almost dead (in which case it may kill them). Instead the enemy will stagger backwards or forwards depending the attack. While the enemy is stumbling the other has an importunity to use an attack of their own as well. Pressing the B or O button after this succession of co-operative attacks will have Chris or Sheva congratulate the other on the nice play of team work.
Note: if you perform a "lighter" melee attack, such as a Hook or a Twist kick, the follow up attack can only be performed by the other player. Unlike with attacks prompted by gunshots or knife attacks, the attack prompt for an enemy staggering from a melee attack will only appear to the other player who didn't initiate the prompt.
Special Co-op Attacks
To help reward precise and careful team work, there are four special melee attacks to perform in RE5 (at this point). These attacks will kill the enemy instantly.These cannot be perform on the boss enemies. Note that it might take a lot of trial and error to get it down, and it's important to NOT injure the enemies any more than needed, as they'll probably die before the attack can be performed. The basic procedure of performing these moves is to isolate one enemy and "bounce them" between two players. It's probably not possible to execute this with the AI partner so two players should be present.
Chris's Hay maker:
1. Shoot an enemy in the arm from the front as Chris, run up and perform a Hook.
2. The enemy should stumble back towards Sheva.
3. Have the Sheva player perform a Kick from behind.
4. This should propel the enemy back to Chris.
5. When the enemy reaches Chris, the prompt for "Hay maker" should appear.
Chris's Back hand:
1. Shoot an enemy in the arm from behind as Chris, run up and perform a Kick.
2. The enemy should stumble forwards towards Sheva.
3. Have the Sheva player perform a Twist kick from the front.
4. This should propel the enemy back to Chris.
5. When the enemy reaches Chris, the prompt for "Back hand" should appear.
Sheva's Skull crusher:
1. Shoot an enemy in the arm from the front as Sheva, run up and perform a Twist kic.
2. The enemy should stumble back towards Chris.
3. Have the Chris player perform a Kick from behind.
4. This should propel the enemy back to Sheva.
5. When the enemy reaches Sheva, the prompt for "Skull crusher" should appear.
Sheva's Spinning back kick:
1. Shoot an enemy in the arm from behind as Sheva, run up and perform a Kick.
2. The enemy should stumble forwards towards Chris.
3. Have the Chris player perform a Hook from the front.
4. This should propel the enemy back to Sheva.
5. When the enemy reaches Sheva, the prompt for "Spinning back kick" should appear.
Video Demonstrations
Resident Evil 5 demo: Contextual Melee Attack Exhibition. This video displays all of the standard melee attacks as performed by Chris and Sheva.
Videos displaying the special co-op attacks:
Chris's Hay maker
Chris's Back hand
Sheva's Skull crusher
Sheva's Spinning back kick
Gametrailers's Compilation Video containing many different melee attacks, including the co-op ones
Why melee attack?
Melee attacks are extremely useful, in spite of the gun locked in the character's hand. Performing them helps save ammunition and thin out crowds of enemy. During the attack animations, your character is also momentarily invulnerable to attacks (known as i-frames, or invincibility frames) Plus, some melee attacks are instant kills.
How to Perform Different Attacks
Listed below are instructions of how to activate the prompts for different attacks. At this point it is unknown if there is an difference in attack power between Chris's and Sheva's attacks, although they're most likely the same. Keep in mind that if you're causing an enemy to stagger with an attack from a gunshot or knife slash, either of the players can perform the melee attack; the prompt is not exclusive to the player who caused the enemy to stumble.
Chris (in front of enemy)
Straight: Shoot an enemy in the head
Hook: Shoot an enemy in the arm
Uppercut: Shoot an enemy in the leg
Chris (from behind enemy)
Straight: Shoot an enemy in the head
Kick (from behind): Shoot an enemy in the arm
Neck breaker (instant kill): Shoot an enemy in the leg
Sheva (in front of enemy)
Roundhouse: Shoot an enemy in the head
Twist kick: Shoot an enemy in the arm
Somersault: Shoot an enemy in the leg
Sheva (from behind enemy)
Roundhouse: Shoot an enemy in the head
Kick (from behind): Shoot an enemy in the arm
Throat slit (instant kill): Shoot an enemy in the leg
Ground Attacks
Even when an enemy is lying the ground, but still alive, a prompt will be present for both Chris and Sheva to finish it off. For Chris it is "Stomp" and for Sheva it is "Impale." While the ground attacks do dish out quite a bit of damage, they are not a guaranteed kill. To help ensure they don't rise up, standing just in front of the top of their head and then performing the attack has a good chance to decapitate them if the attack manages to connect with their head.
Rescue Attacks
When a player is grappled or grabbed by an enemy (Help! with appear over your partner's life bar and an on screen indicator will lead you to them), the other partner can perform an attack to free the assaulted player. When close enough, a prompt will appear for the rescuing player. Following this prompt can result in different attacks depending on the enemy in question (punches, kicks, knife slashes for example).
Stacking Attacks
Often times Chris and Sheva can perform a sequence of a couple of melee attacks on one enemy. This is most noticeable against the boss enemies, the chainsaw majini and the executioner. When they're stunned, one player can approach them and perform a melee attack. While the boss enemy is stumbling from the melee attack, the other player can attack as well, usually with a more powerful one. For example, Chris could initially perform a Hook on the chainsaw majini, which is not as powerful as other attacks. While the chainsaw majini is recovering from Chris's Hook, Sheva could approach the staggering enemy and follow up Chris's assault with a Roundhouse. This tactic can be used on other enemies as well. A Hook, Kick from behind, or a Twist kick will not typically knock an enemy to the ground unless they're almost dead (in which case it may kill them). Instead the enemy will stagger backwards or forwards depending the attack. While the enemy is stumbling the other has an importunity to use an attack of their own as well. Pressing the B or O button after this succession of co-operative attacks will have Chris or Sheva congratulate the other on the nice play of team work.
Note: if you perform a "lighter" melee attack, such as a Hook or a Twist kick, the follow up attack can only be performed by the other player. Unlike with attacks prompted by gunshots or knife attacks, the attack prompt for an enemy staggering from a melee attack will only appear to the other player who didn't initiate the prompt.
Special Co-op Attacks
To help reward precise and careful team work, there are four special melee attacks to perform in RE5 (at this point). These attacks will kill the enemy instantly.These cannot be perform on the boss enemies. Note that it might take a lot of trial and error to get it down, and it's important to NOT injure the enemies any more than needed, as they'll probably die before the attack can be performed. The basic procedure of performing these moves is to isolate one enemy and "bounce them" between two players. It's probably not possible to execute this with the AI partner so two players should be present.
Chris's Hay maker:
1. Shoot an enemy in the arm from the front as Chris, run up and perform a Hook.
2. The enemy should stumble back towards Sheva.
3. Have the Sheva player perform a Kick from behind.
4. This should propel the enemy back to Chris.
5. When the enemy reaches Chris, the prompt for "Hay maker" should appear.
Chris's Back hand:
1. Shoot an enemy in the arm from behind as Chris, run up and perform a Kick.
2. The enemy should stumble forwards towards Sheva.
3. Have the Sheva player perform a Twist kick from the front.
4. This should propel the enemy back to Chris.
5. When the enemy reaches Chris, the prompt for "Back hand" should appear.
Sheva's Skull crusher:
1. Shoot an enemy in the arm from the front as Sheva, run up and perform a Twist kic.
2. The enemy should stumble back towards Chris.
3. Have the Chris player perform a Kick from behind.
4. This should propel the enemy back to Sheva.
5. When the enemy reaches Sheva, the prompt for "Skull crusher" should appear.
Sheva's Spinning back kick:
1. Shoot an enemy in the arm from behind as Sheva, run up and perform a Kick.
2. The enemy should stumble forwards towards Chris.
3. Have the Chris player perform a Hook from the front.
4. This should propel the enemy back to Sheva.
5. When the enemy reaches Sheva, the prompt for "Spinning back kick" should appear.
Video Demonstrations
Resident Evil 5 demo: Contextual Melee Attack Exhibition. This video displays all of the standard melee attacks as performed by Chris and Sheva.
Videos displaying the special co-op attacks:
Chris's Hay maker
Chris's Back hand
Sheva's Skull crusher
Sheva's Spinning back kick
Gametrailers's Compilation Video containing many different melee attacks, including the co-op ones